(Is search down?) Low Oil indicator:(...what do I do? Engine oil?glitch?Pump Cone?

[100guard]

forgive me folks., I searched a few times for 'oil', 'low oil' but each time it comes up with 'no results'. That's insane because I can SEE a thread on oil just on the first page lol.

I need help with my 98/99 Speedster SK. I think it's a 98...but I think I went all last yr thinking it was a 99 lol., till after I bought parts for it...that had a yr spec-but which still worked...only to find out from the VIN IIRC that it's a 98...doh!

If anybody recalls., last yr I had the low oil come on, and my impellar shaft or whatever it was done-fuzed with it's outer cylinder. Turned out my "jet pump cone" had a crack and the oil leaked out.

Well., after a few outings this season, yesterday (after 2 hours of boppin' around) I got that red eye of death again and I immediately freaked. Thankfully we weren't...that far away but still a good hours worth of manual labour hehe.

I opened the hatch, engine oil was at medium mark. Even on the inclined position it was a cm above the top of the back end, there's ~2" or more at the front end because it dips backwards right.


So anyway, engines didn't seize., I decided to gamble and just chug along at 5kms/hr back to the launch., 40mins later, we almost arrived there but needed a break, so stopped the engine and achored to swim around for a bit.

Once done, started both up again, another 5mins @ just above fwd idle but then a LOUD blaring FRIGHTFUL solid burst tone came up., I IMMEDIATELY shut the boat off., but the tone/siren kept going for a good 20s? Nothing seized., nothing stalled., just the tone. No smoke., Nadda.

I'm not a mechanic or DIY by any means, I looked at the cones to see if either had cracked (to see if it was the same issue?)...can't see anything from being so far buried inside that cylinder above it. I must remove all that stuff over it to reach the cones right? FWd/Rev deflector and and that nozzle or whatever it's called?

My other concern is that maybe this time the engine oil wasn't feeding properly? I looked and the two tubes on the bottom (where do these feed to?) are full of oil., and they do suck from the absolute lowest spot of the tank so it can't be an issue of the tube curling up towards the more shallow back side of the tank? or could it? I tried removing that top black part, but it's firm in there. How do I remove that? The tube going down from this contraption does what? Maybe this one is curled up? There's a little gap of air as you can see from this housing...could this be at all an issue?


I think it's a waste to fill the oil tank up if that doesn't solve it, so I want to first take that thing off to see inside if there's a feeder tube somewhere above the level-then I'll happily dump my Interceptor in there and be happy the problem is quckly solved!

If it's not the issue, then...I have to take it to a mechanic to look at that cone? I didn't look when the old one died, but it seems like it's open so not sure how you can fill it with fluid and mount it at a right angle without everything pouring out? Or do you have to take out the whole impeller/housing to place vertically and then put the cone on top?

I'm sorry for the laymans terms here...but that's where I'm at.

It's a sunny day, I still have my hatch open, hoping someone can give me a quick couple suggestions to try out before calling it, and finding someone to help.

I turned the power on (batt), and plugged in DESS, but still got the REOD, so I just gave up. .

Appreciate the help folks please. I really wanna be able to do this a few more times without too much a hit in the wallet .

 

[LouDoo]

I'm a little confused by your post. Are you thinking you ran out of injection oil or pump oil? You will get an alarm for low injection oil when the tank gets to about 1/4 full, from your pictures it looks like the injection oil is O.K.

The only way to check the pump oil is to remove the cone, if the pump oil is milky you have a leak, it indicates water mixed with the oil. Usually, unless the pump is damaged the leak will be either from the "O" ring at the cone, or the front impeller double lip seal.

Lou

 

[100guard]

...The only way to check the pump oil is to remove the cone, if the pump oil is milky you have a leak, it indicates water mixed with the oil. Usually, unless the pump is damaged the leak will be either from the "O" ring at the cone, or the front impeller double lip seal.

Lou

Yes exactly., I wasn't sure which it could be. Okay, thanks for echoing my thoughts that it's not injector oil. Still would like to know how to remove that black top plug thingy so I can look in to see what's up (out of curiosity).

So, can I remove the cone with everything in tact? Is the cone sealed itself or as soon as I remove those three screws it pours down? Is it self-contained? I'm wondering if I can just take it out myself., refill (I have plenty of new brp oil bottles here) and screw back on? without taking anything apart.

Is this an easy job for a NON DIY'er? or must that entire back contraption be removed to service this?

hmm...okay best case scenario, I just need a new o ring for the cone? Can I still do this myself?

worst case? lot more to take apart? front impeller double lip seal?

 

[RFoster130]

First take a deep breath... We will talk you though this. The injection oil for the motor and the pump oil in the cones are 2 totally different things. Not even remotely close to being similar. The cone oil will not effect any light, sirens, bells, buzzers or horns.

I think you just have a sensor on the oil tank that stuck. Mine has done it in the past. The low oil light and warning buzzer comes on even when the tank is fine. Sometimes just the oil sloshing around can make this happen if you are below a half tank. Im not sure where it needs to be in the tank to even trigger the warning. I dont let mine get that low. I fill it before every outing.

If you want to be safe, mark the tank and then take the boat out. Check to see if the oil level goes down. If you want to be really safe, add a little oil to the gas and premix a tank. It will smoke a bit though.

As far as the cone oil, you need to get into the habit of changing it yearly. I change mine every year when i winterize the boat. IT takes less than an hour to do both pump and cost less than 10 bucks. When you remove the 3 screws from the cone, it will pull off. The oil will drain out as soon as you remove it, so be careful. The directions for the whole process can be found on here in several threads.

 

[RFoster130]

Looking at your pics again...i really think your tank was just low enough to trigger the warning. Add oil and see what happens. That black plug thingy on top of the oil tank with the wires coming out of it....thats the sensor that im talking about. That triggers your red light of death.

 

[100guard]

Detailed pics coming! & developments of what I found .

...The injection oil for the motor and the pump oil in the cones are 2 totally different things....

yes, I learned this last year., know it well!

The cone oil will not effect any light, sirens, bells, buzzers or horns.

Wait a minute...huh? So there's no sensor to detect low oil in the cone compartment (does this compartment connect all the way down the rod to the end of the impeller?). I think I'm reading you wrongly here. There must be a sensor or indicator, because that's exactly what happened last year and the impellor rod or was it shaft was bust & the old cone had an obvious crack in it. *scratching head*.

I think you just have a sensor on the oil tank that stuck.....I fill it before every outing.

I think this is a good strategy., I should adopt this from now on. Does oil lose effectivity while sitting in the tank over winter?

As far as the cone oil, you need to get into the habit of changing it yearly.....

I did have them changed when I bought the boat., and when winterized., hence why I'm with you on what *should've* been the cause of the indicator ....sadly....it coincided with another glorious event.

...That black plug thingy on top of the oil tank with the wires coming out of it....thats the sensor that im talking about...

Yep! This thing...how do I pop it out?

 

[RFoster130]

Detailed pics coming! & developments of what I found .


Wait a minute...huh? So there's no sensor to detect low oil in the cone compartment

Exactly. There is no way for the machine to know the pump cone oil is leaking or empty. Do you see any wires down there? I remember your problem last year with the pump seizing, but I can assure you, any warning you got was a different issue. What could have possibly happened was the pump seized up, causing the motor to overheat, which in turn, made the temp sensor set off an alarm.

IF you change your pump oil yearly when you winterize, i wouldnt worry about it. Honestly, it's low maintenance. Your issue today is totally different. You have a low oil alarm going off because of the oil injection tank. There is only 1 thing that makes that go off....the sensor triggers it. Either it is factually low, the sensor got a bad reading, or the sensor is bad. Only way to diagnose this...add oil to the tank and see what happens.

 

[100guard]

Exactly. There is no way for the machine to know the pump cone oil is leaking or empty. Do you see any wires down there?..

Good to know...wires? like what? you mean by the impeller or by that sensor?

...Your issue today is totally different. ..

Oh you have no idea.

I'm just about done uploading the funeral pics of a fallen soldier friend who passed from Cancer today., once I finish that, I'll work on the pics of what I discovered about what happend to me yesterday vis-a-vis JennnNAYYYY ...sob.

Can you please go over my post again ref the 2 q's I asked? Unless you didn't know the answer?

1-effectivity
2-remove sensor plug

Still curiouso you pour oil into the cone...then put the whole assembly down ONTO it? Then you're socket wrenching the three screws UPWARDS? I never understood how one fills that thing if there's no bloody seal on its face? Or do you just pour oil on the Assembly till it drains down the rod, and then you put the cone (which would be empty) down on top? Which is it?

 

[RFoster130]

Sorry to hear about your friend. Cancer is a mean SOB that takes far too many people. Ive lost some good people to it.

Good to know...wires? like what? you mean by the impeller or by that sensor?

I was just being sarcastic here. As in, there are no wires down there at the impeller. So there is no way low pump oil can set off an alarm.

Your questions.....

1. Effectivity of oil. Nope it doesnt hurt it to sit in there. There is oil thats been in jugs months or years before you bought it at the store. Ive put about 15 hours on my boat in 4 years. Ive used maybe 4 or 5 gallons of oil in that same time period. Never caused a problem yet.

2. That "plug" is the oil sensor. I have never tried to remove it. To me, it looks like it is epoxied to the tank and glued there.

As far as the cone. It has a small plug that unscrews out of it. To remove the cone, use the 3 allen bolts. Then bolt it back on, make sure the fill plug is on top and fill through the hole. Then replace the plug.

 

[100guard]

Doh!

You're right...there are no wires going to the cone...dang. Didn't realize that. lol.

Sorry to hear about your friend.....

Thank you.

2. That "plug" is the oil sensor. I have never tried to remove it. To me, it looks like it is epoxied to the tank and glued there.

Darn it. I wanted to physically know where the actual sensor/bottom of tube (if that's where it is) is it sitting. If someone wanted to check if there is any debris at the bottom or if there's a filter dropping into the two tubes on the bottom...how would they peek in then? Break the epoxy and replace once complete?

btw...FWIW...I remember last year, when I ran the oil down before dumping in the new Interceptor I bought (synthetic), I got it a lot lower and didn't get a beep or lights, hence why I truly thought it was the cones LOL...

Hmmmm maybe that fibreoptic sight cable thingy from Costco would be awesome here...I'd shove it down the refill spout .

As far as the cone. It has a small plug that unscrews out of it. To remove the cone, use the 3 allen bolts. Then bolt it back on, make sure the fill plug is on top and fill through the hole. Then replace the plug.

Ahhhhhhhh, so I'd need a narrow funnel then eh? That's a pretty darn small hole to pour in fluid into. HOw many CC's we talkin in each compartment? I think the brp bottles I have in the passenger sun-shield compartment are what...225cc/mls each? is it one full one per side that gets poured in?

Hole-side-up. Got it!

You're awesome! My new thread on 'devleopments' is done...waiting now on the pics to be 'attached'. I'm uploading five videos (funeral) to fb and FB sucks ass and is slow in processing vid uploads., so my pic attachments are now painfully slow as well...oh well. I hope my 'new thread' token doesn't expire and I lose everything just as I hit 'submit thread' LOL. Do you (as mod) know if there's a time limit expiry on new thread tokens?

 

[100guard]

Search is working today btw . It really was down turns out.

I searched for oil and threads came up.